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Factors Affecting the Development of Flue‐Cured Tobacco Grown in Artificial Environments: IV. Effects of Carbon Dioxide Depletion and Light Intensity 1
Author(s) -
Raper C. David,
Downs R. J.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1973.00021962006500020019x
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide , elongation , dry matter , chemistry , topping , nicotiana tabacum , horticulture , curing of tobacco , light intensity , botany , agronomy , biology , biochemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , gene , metallurgy , ultimate tensile strength , physics , optics
Plants grown in controlled‐environment rooms are usually under a CO 2 stress that the so‐called “make‐up air systems” do little or nothing to alleviate. Tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) rapidly depletes the CO 2 from 400 ppm (v/v) ambient level to 200 ppm. This report evaluates the effects of this CO 2 stress by comparison with plants grown in an atmosphere where CO 2 was maintained at the ambient 400 ppm level by supplemental CO 2 . Light intensities of 215, 322, and 450 hlx were superimposed on both CO 2 regimes. Plant development was evaluated by physical and chemical properties of mature leaves and has been compared not only among the imposed treatment conditions, but also with the development that occurs in a natural field environment. Several abnormalities of tobacco were noted under CO 2 stress. These include: a low concentration of reducing sugars in the cured leaves, presumably reflective of low soluble carbohydrate accumulation in mature leaves; reduced internode elongation; and epinasty of leaves during maturation. A reduced dry matter accumulation in aerial organs, concomitant with the reduced internode growth, was recorded under the CO 2 stress. Only small differences between CO 2 levels occurred for dry matter accumulation in leaf tissue. Decreased light intensity increased accumulation of nitrogen and potassium by the plants independent of CO 2 level. Most of this increase was attributed to actively expanding tissue, in this case to growth of secondary meristems.